[pigsatlesrues]

We bought some giant rabbits last Autumn which are now coming to size, and we are thinking about breeding one of them to get a litter in the link for meat.

Does anyone have experience of rabbits please?

I know to put the female to the male not the other way around. Should the female be right away from the other females or is it ok to separate her with fencing whilst still enjoying the company of her freinds. Should I wait for the warmer weather or is anytime ok?

Would she need food supplements during pregnancy?

I am a total novice so any information will be greatfully recieved.

Kate

[rustyme]

Hello Kate ,
               I typed an answer earlier it took forever but just as I was about to post , the electric went off here and I lost the lot .... Anyway.... Bunnies.........
     Although I never kept them myself , my dad did for years. He reared them for commercial meat production about 30 years ago now. In those days the best ones were Californians or New Zealand Whites , if my terrible memory serves me right ? From what I can remember the GIANT types aren't really the best ones for meat production , as they take too long to get upto weight and the meat to bone ratio is bad compared to the Cals and the NZW's.
          So I will base things on NZW's. He used to try to get the young upto weight by about 8 weeks ,I think, that weight being about 3-3.5lb. They were weaned at about 3-4 weeks . Ours were kept in wooden hutches which were in turn in a stone shed . The hutches were supplied with straw and hay was given in racks. The feed was rabbit pellets, the mums and dads also got added veg. The young were on strict  amounts of pellets , so many ounces per day per bunny . Very little other stuff was given as it tended to slow weight gain . As with all animals , fresh water must always be available .
         Hutches can be used or you can use wire cages . One rabbit per cage apart from the weaned young . The wire cages must be in a draught free shed , not all closed up as they need fresh air, but free from wind and rain. You can also use A frame type runs if you have enough land . You will have to move them everyday to fresh clean grass and they will also be liable to fox attention .
         Feed can be got completely free if you are prepared to collect from road pollution free areas, however you must not feed your bunnies on pellets and then stick loads of grass in for them as you may well cause scours. This is bad enough in grown rabbits , but in young ones will nearly always be fatal. I know with horses, cows and pigs you can feed comfrey to cure scours , but I doubt if you would get small bunnies to eat it. 
        Breeding can be done all year , it depends on where you keep your bunnies and how much work you want to put in . The young will take longer to reach weight in winter,so if you just want a few for the pot , then you may be better off rearing young in warmer weather and freezing enough to get you through the winter.
        I am by no means an expert on rabbits, but hope this is of some use to you . If I am wrong on any info someone please jump in and say so . However I think I have the basics about right here? 
       I have got some old books on rabbit meat production round here somewhere, so if you need any more specific information ,please just shout and I will dig them out and look it up for you .
        Good luck with the bunnies , hope you get some good stews from them soon .......
 
 cheers
 
Russ
     

[Rosemary]

I do not know if this is true, but someone told me the other day that there is HUGE demand for rabbit meat in London restaurants. Wonder if tey would like some of the thousands on our land...

[pigsatlesrues]

Thanks for that Russ.

The lady I got the rabbits from called them giants, but not sure that is what they are. I bought four including a NZ White male and female and the others are crosses. All are very large and she says that she grows them to about 8 months and dead weight we can expect about 3+ Kilos of meat (not including head and feet). The male is huge so I am hopeful for some good weights in the end.

Our only experience of rabbits are as pets and the info you have given is very useful, thankyou.
We shall be rearing outside and I have to say that I prefer to give them a little space outside their living quarters although I have been told to be careful in as much as too much exercise will build muscle. Our pet rabbits have a huge enclosure to run around in, but of course they are different and I have to be sensible.

The French use these big multi story concrete hutch things which we could use for birthing but I still favour something a little 'kinder' for them when not 'with child' so to speak. We could put runs on the lower level ones I suppose.

We use the rabbit pellets already and dry bread as well. I give them all the green veg leftovers when available but understand that we have to be careful with that.

I think from what you say we would be best waiting until Easter time to mate one of the females and hope for some decent weather although in Normandy it could be a very tall order!!

Will keep you posted on how we go. Not sure how brave I will be at the end with them. There is something rather lovely about a bunny, but they do taste good to!

By the way, what is the gestation period for the pregnancy please?

Thanks

Kate

[rustyme]

Hello Kate,
           31 days is the norm for bunnies , some may be a bit early or late though. Keeping rabbits outside in runs will , if for long enough?, build muscle, but muscle is meat .   However , it is the type of muscle that counts really .   If you get young well fed but not really fit bunnies , you get nice tender meat/muscle.   If, on the other hand , you keep them outside with plenty of room to runabout and for a long time , then they will get very wirey/tough.   It is really down to your own preference,  and what you will use the meat for . If you prefer the more wild type taste then go for the outside older bunny .
       As for weather ...well it sounds like we get the same sort of here....we may get some nice weather ,but when that will be is anybody's guess ? The main thing with keeping any animal is as you know , enjoy keeping them . I know if they are kept for meat then the dirty deed has to be done at some time.....not something I have ever liked doing . Still , good luck with them again.
  Keep us upto date with how things are going ....cheers for now Russ

[pigsatlesrues]

Thanks again Russ - not very long then, lucky them!!

I wasn't thinking of a large run, just something for them to get an airing and have a stretch. It does upset me to see the way the French keep theirs in the concrete hutches which are quite large, but they do fill them up so the rabbits are really cramped for space. I would like to think that any  we breed will at least have had a good quality of life which is what all the others animals here enjoy.
The few that we have eaten in the past have been shop bought so very tender. Casseroled in cider - YUM!

Kate

[chrisgod]

Hi Kate, if I may add a little on the breeding of rabbits? Whatever you do DON'T leave the pregnant Does in a run when they have young kits due!! They will inevitably abort and eat them!! The does NEED somewhere they feel safe to give birth and need to be by themselves. So don't keep two does together either.
The concrete hutches are fine, just as long as they are dry and draft free!
And on the subject of greens!! I have found to my cost! That the NZ/Californians type of rabbit do NOT like cabbage!! I have lost several with scours when feeding ANY sort of cabbage. The only way I know of to get rid (IF you can?) IS to try and get some ARROWROOT on the rabbits food, this can help. BUT you need to be very quick! They die VERY quickly indeed!
And on the subject of taste? YUMMY!!! Wild or captive!

[pigsatlesrues]

Thanks for the advice - first doe going to the buck today hopefully!

Kate

[pigsatlesrues]

Still have all the advice - so far not managed to breed anything.  Pig crashed enclosure for pregnant giants, and both were killed.  Have now moved on to the French type concrete cages for safey, and my neighbour has since walked over two sacks of rabbits because she felt sorry for me.  Mum and babies in each sack - she is French that is all I can say about that mode of transportation! Anyway they are of a  smaller type, so still trying to sort out my giants hence my new posting about New Zealand Whites  and breeding them with family.

Life is never easy is it!!

Kate 

[dan_golding]

Aside from all the good advice already posted here, one thing that we do with our does is to give them raspberry leaves (abot half a dozen) each day during the week of expected birth to help them with labour pains.

The other thing that we don't do is breed during the winter months (late December to February/March in these parts)

[pigsatlesrues]

I am hoping to finally get my first litter born due any day now.  Mummy made a nest yesterday with hay but I notice didn't line it with her fir and today it is destroyed. Today is day 28 so keeping my fingers and toes crossed that both the NZ whites will produce with no problems.

I have had total disasters before - the fox got my black and grey giants just before they were due.  I am now using the French style concrete huctches to keep them safe.  I have a lot of them though in order that the rabbits do not get overcrowded which is a normal sight for the poor things here.  They cannot move, and just get bigger and bigger until they are killed.  Hopefully mine will appreciate the space they enjoy and finally produce for me.

I have been practicing a few recipies with rabbits my friend gave to me - pies and casseroles.  So any well tried and tested recipes from anyone on TAS would be much appreciated.

I will post when the babies arrive! A truley deserved bottle of bubbly for me then I think!

Kate  :

[pigsatlesrues]

HELP!!!

The NZ White is having her kittens as we speak.  She obviously doesn't know what she is doing.  She is dropping kits all over the place and each time demolishing her nest and then rebuilding it inbetween giving birth.  I am standing back and not interfering of course, although I have removed one kit while she had her head buried because I noticed that she had chewed off its feet so we have destroyed it.

Is this normal for a first litter?  The other rabbit seems to be doing fine with her litter.

Assuming this whole litter will die one way or another, how long should I wait until she goes back to the male?

This whole experience is turning out to be very stressful.  I have been carrying on as usual with food and water,not changing the routine at all so she is not stressed with me.  I haven't cleaned her out as such - so not to disturb anything.  I have been adding hay for her to layer and use as she wishes.  Should I have done anything differently?

Thanks all

Kate 

[Rosemary]

What a shame, Kate. I can't help but am keeping my fingers crossed that it will work out OK.

[pigsatlesrues]

It has been the most bizzarr day!  The rabbit that had the disaster last week with two newborns,  has given birth to 4 babies today.

I cannot get my head around it at all.

I put her in with the buck originally for about 2 hours, then replaced her with another female for him.
I watched the business being done before I removed her.  A week later I returned her to the buck, on the basis that I have been instructed to do this because it is a sure fire way of telling if she is pregnant.  If the buck has no interest then she is pregnant, if she isn't he will have another go.

I can only think that the original two were from the first visit she had with him, and these four today were from the visit she had with him a week later.

Once again - help!  I am assured this is a tried and tested way to get the females pregnant, especially when I wanted three of them pregnant so I get some numbers going here. I have never heard of two matings  with this outcome?

Looking forward to any advice.

Kate 

 

[garden cottage]

crikey kate theres no shortage of drama at your place,think i will stick with my air rifle and bag some wildys. ..........             neil